Banger’s. 79 Rainey St. 512-386-1656, bangersaustin.com. A large, pup-friendly beer garden and roster of creative sausages make this spot one of Rainey Street’s most popular.

Bartlett’s. 2408 W. Anderson Lane. 512-451-7333, bartlettsaustin.com. This restaurant has changed little since its transition from Houston’s, and that’s not a bad thing.

Benji’s Cantina. 716 W. Sixth St. 512-476-8226, benjiscantina.com. This Tex-Mex spot offers fajita meat with a pedigree and great views of West Sixth Street from its rooftop patio.

*Black Star Co-op. 7020 Easy Wind Drive. 512-452-2337, blackstar.coop. The cooperatively owned brewpub offers a robust roster of house and guest beers, as well as a menu of thoughtfully crafted pub food, with outdoor seats near the Crestview Metro Rail station.

*Blue Dahlia Bistro. 1115 E. 11th St. 512-542-9542, bluedahliabistro.com. The shady back patio is something of a secret garden; the menu, an ode to light French cuisine.

*Bouldin Creek Cafe. 1900 S. First St. 512-416-1601, bouldincreek.com. One of Austin’s true temples to vegetarian and vegan fare has a bustling patio out front.

Botticelli’s. 1321 S. Congress Ave. 512-916-1315, botticellissouthcongress.com. Intimate Italian dining on bustling South Congress, with a patio out back for a relaxing glass of wine and maybe some tunes.

*Clark’s. 1200 W. Sixth St. 512-297-2525, clarksoysterbar.com. This jewel-box oyster bar looks like it was snatched up from the Hamptons, dusted of sand, and placed in West Austin. If you’re lucky you can snag one of the few outdoor tables lining the front windows.

*La Condesa. 400 W. Second St. 512-499-0300, lacondesa.com. The patio-wrapped restaurant has the feel of dining in one of Mexico City’s leafy, upscale neighborhoods.

County Line. 6500 W. Bee Cave Road. 5204 RM 2222. 512-346-3664, countyline.com. This local barbecue behemoth has been cranking the ’cue for about 40 years at its original location. Both Austin locations offer excellent outdoor seating.

*Crown & Anchor Pub. 2911 San Jacinto Blvd. 512-322-9168, crownandanchorpub.com. Cheeseburgers and beers on the patio are a campus-area tradition at this spot that’s been open since 1987.

Curra’s Grill. 614 E. Oltorf St. 512-444-0012, currasgrill.com. One of the early movers in Austin’s interior-Mexican cuisine scene, Curra’s has a wraparound outdoor seating area.

*Hightower. 1209 E. Seventh St. 512-524-1448, thehightoweraustin.com. A great example of flavorful food at mid-range prices. Austin needs more places like this one.

*Hillside Farmacy. 1209 E. 11th St. 512-628-0168, hillsidefarmacy.com. Pâtisserie and café in the morning, solid deli in the daytime and an evening menu full of bistro classics and oysters.

*Home Slice. 1415 S. Congress Ave. 512-444-7437, homesliceaustin.com. Pizza party on the back patio. What more could you want?

*Hopfields. 3110 Guadalupe St. 512-537-0467, hopfieldsaustin.com. A shaded patio is located at the back of this French-inspired gastropub that serves one of the best hamburgers in the city.

*Hula Hut. 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. 512-476-4852, hulahut.com. A little taste of the tropics on Lake Austin. Sit out on the lakeside bar or dine inside on dishes like fajitas with a sweet Polynesian plum sauce.

*Jack Allen’s Kitchen. Multiple locations. jackallenskitchen.com. Comfort food with a side of al fresco country living from a longtime Austin stalwart.

*Justine’s. 4710 E. Fifth St. 512-385-2900, justines1937.com. Left Bank jazz club meets urban garden party at this home to quality cocktails and French bistro fare.

*Launderette. 2115 Holly St. 512-382-1599, launderetteaustin.com. The lively energy spills onto the patio seating area that runs the front expanse of this popular East Austin restaurant.

*LaV. 1501 E. Seventh St. 512-381-1888, lavaustin.com. This elegant home of Provencal and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine boasts an impressive wine list and a tranquil patio, with haunting views of the Texas State Cemetery.

*Licha’s Cantina. 1306 E. Sixth St. 512-480-5960, lichascantina.com. Tons of space out front and out back to enjoy Mexican street food staples like tlacoyos and huaraches.

*Lucy’s Fried Chicken. 2218 College Ave., 512-297-2423; 5408 Burnet Road, 512-514-0664; lucysfriedchicken.com. With a bucket of beer and a basket of fried chicken, you’ll feel like you’re dining on the patio of an old friend’s house.

*Noble Sandwich Co. 4805 Burnet Road. 512-666-5124, noblesandwiches.com. Big tables at the back of the Central Austin location give a picnic-in-the-park vibe to this place that makes some of the tastiest sandwiches in town.

*Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza. 13187 Fitzhugh Road. 512-900-9079, stanleysfarmhousepizza.com. Wood-fired pizzas in a natural setting on the edge of the Hill Country. Bonus points for being located at Jester King Brewery.

*Sway. 1417 S. First St. 512-326-1999, swayaustin.com. The most peaceful place at this restaurant to enjoy its flavorful dishes like the son-in-law and blue crab fried rice? The courtyard lined with picnic benches.

*Takoba. 1411 E. Seventh St. 512-628-4466, takobarestaurant.com. Great happy hour deals and well-executed favorites such as torta de carnitas and pozole rojo make this restaurant with multiple outdoor seating areas a popular East Austin destination.

Vox Table. 1100 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-375-4869, voxtableaustin.com. Watch pedestrians stroll the sidewalk of the mixed-use Lamar Union complex while trading bites from small plates and sipping one of several Manhattans.

*Winebelly. 519 W. Oltorf St. 512-487-1569, austinwinebelly.com. This wine bar offers bar snacks as well as a menu of well-executed small plates such as fried quail and duck confit and has a lovely back patio that can seat a few dozen.

Z’Tejas. Multiple locations. 512-478-5355, ztejas.com/locations. The original treehouse on West Sixth Street opened about 25 years ago and built its reputation with Southwestern favorites like green chili pork nachos, red chili and mango steak salad and pepita-crusted chicken.

Restaurant listings

Temperatures are finally cooling, and the sun is less fierce. Time to eat outside. On this list, I offer more than 50 restaurants where you can enjoy a meal al fresco. Find more restaurants broken down by category at austin360.com/austinrestaurants. Don’t see your favorites? Email me at modam@statesman.com or call me, 512-912-5986.

*=Critic’s picks

Guide on the go

Take my 2015 Dining Guide — a list of my Top 25 restaurants, 50 critic’s picks and the best of a host of categories — with you by bookmarking Austin360.com/eats on your smartphone, computer or tablet.

About the Author

MATTHEW ODAM
Matthew Odam is the restaurant critic and a features writer at the Austin American-Statesman.

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